Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 is published by DC Comics and written by Joshua Williamson. Artwork is by Howard Porter, colours by Brad Anderson and letters by Troy Peteri. Main cover art (left) is by Porter and Hi-Fi.
Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 is available now both in print and on digital where all good comic books are sold.
Synopsis
When Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies inside the Hall of Justice, their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia…who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares. The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero-Deadman! The thrills and chills of Knight Terrors are brought to the DC Universe by DC architect and superstar writer Joshua Williamson with horrific art by comics legend Howard Porter!
Review
Shelve all your plans for the next two months. DC Comics is changing the game with brand new nightmare event, Knight Terrors. The publisher has been teasing the huge event for a while now including in its Free Comic Book Day sampler. But today the event kicks off in earnest with the first handful of character specials and Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 which lays the groundwork for what is to come.
Don’t be confused though. The actual Knight Terrors #1 drops next week and will further flesh out the story from another angle. It seems that with mastermind Joshua Williamson at the helm DC is crafting one of their most complex events not have the word Crisis in its title.
In case you missed it, check out the official trailer for Knight Terrors in the player below:
Knight Terrors isn’t your typical DC event. Yes it has the world ending stakes. But similar to the Lazarus Planet event, we’re not dealing with time travel or multiverse travel. The story is very much in the here and now as the heroes of the DC Universe deal with a brand new a mysterious threat.
From the outset the dreamlike qualities of Williamson’s story are communicated excellently through Porter’s meticulous artwork. The sketch-like nature that has become synonymous with the artist is beyond perfect for this story. There’s a sense that not everything is what it seems and quickly I found myself questioning what might be real or a dream. It really leans in to the horror aesthetic that Williamson is crafting with this story.
We open with a classic character from Justice League’s part, Dr. Destiny aka John Dee. The scene begins warm and welcoming as he picnics with his family. But sweet dreams soon become a beautiful nightmare as the image before him twists and distorts into something distinctly chilling. It’s the perfect signifier of what’s to come. It doesn’t give away anything obvious but does define the plot succinctly before we catch up with DC’s Trinity.
It’s in moments like this that you realise the sheer volume of planning that goes on at the big publishers like DC. There are plot points from across continuity which factor in to Knight Terrors, chief amongst them being the distance between Justice League members given that group is currently on hiatus. There’s a coldness when Wonder Woman and Superman first speak to each other. One which is only increased by the events of the mainstream Superman book.
Present day events are surprisingly from the perspective of Deadman. A character who is slowly making a comeback to mainstream comics. There’s enough of a refresh of his backstory for anyone who isn’t familiar. But for those in the know it’s pretty much down to business as Boston gets down to business trying to pick apart the DCU’s latest threat.
Thing escalate pretty quickly as Insomnia blankets the world putting almost everyone to sleep. Of course there are a number of well placed characters, like Zatanna, who manage to counteract the spell. They will no doubt become important down the line but Williams chooses not to focus on that here. Instead First Blood lives up to its name by honing in on those caught up in the initial wave of nightmares.
It’s not all darkness though. Williamson injects some inspired dialogue in to the book including a brilliant Beastie Boys reference from Batman. Bet you’ll never see that one coming. Deadman’s trademark wit also manages to cut through the tension to make sure it doesn’t become too heavy.
Verdict
Knight Terrors: First Blood lives up to its game perfectly. A tantalising opening gambit in DC’s ambitious two-month event.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
